Vacuum moistening process



Oct. 8, 1940. P, H- PALMER 2,216,783

VACUUM MO ISTENING PROCESS Filed Sept. '50, 1939 ,279i if Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNITED STATES VACUUM MOISTENING PROCESS Paul H. Palmer, Jacksonville, 'Fla., assignor to The Guardite Corporation, a corporation of Illinois ApplcationSepternber 30, 1939, Serial No. 297,351 2 Claims. (Cl. 131,-140) By means of the present invention this diculty is overcome by directing the incomingI air along amoist surface of the tank. As a result the air picks up the moisture and becomes saturated before contacting any tobacco. The invention is illustrated in the drawing in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional elevation partly broken away of a portion of a vacuum 20 tank; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the door of said tank; Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 3 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section taken along the line 4 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a section taken along the line 5in Fig. 4.

25 As shown in the drawing, the tank I0 is provided with a door II in which an opening I2 is provided. The opening I2 is sealed by a gasket I3 and a plate I4 which is pivotaliy mounted at I5. At the bottom of the plate an oft- 30 set shoulder I6 is provided which abuts a cam I'I to which is secured a crank arm I8. On the inside of the door II a spreader plate 20 is profvided which is a slotted and curved member. The door is in the form of a segment of a sphere so 35 that the straight edges 2I of the plate 20 form four openings therewith, one on each side and one on each end. The plate is preferably welded to the door as indicated at 22 so that the size of the side openings 23 is reduced. The curved arrangement of the plate is best shown in Fig. 5.

Means are provided for evacuating the tank as through the line 2B and means are likewise provided for introducing steam as through the line 21 and for introducing hot water as through the line 28.

As an example of the process, dry binder tobacco was introduced to the tank, the door closed 5 and a vacuum of approximately 281/2 inches produced. The tobacco was then steamed and hot water introducedto produce a temperature -of 187 F. after 24 minutes. The temperature was then held substantially at this point for 75 min- 10 utes after which the vacuum was broken by removal of the plate I4. The plate I4 is opened against atmospheric pressure by operation of the cam I1. The incoming air is directed fanwise over the door as indicated in Fig. 4. The inside of the door, which is steel, has been covered with water during the steaming and moistening processes and pro-vides ample moisture for the saturation of the incoming dry air. At the same time the drying and cooling of the door avoids dripping of water therefrom.

I claim:

1. The method of treating an organic product which comprises subjecting the product to a high vacuum in a tank, steaming the product to in- 25 crease its moisture content while maintaining a vacuum thereon whereby a surface of the tank becomes hot and wet, and then admitting air to break the vacuum and conducting the air over moist surfaces of the tank prior to bringing it into contact with the product.

2. The method of treating tobacco which comprises subjecting the tobacco to a high vacuum in a tank, steaming the tobacco to increase its prises subjecting the tobacco to a high vacuum thereon whereby a surface of the tank becomes hot and wet, and then admitting air to break the vacuum and conducting the air over moist surfaces of the tank prior to bringing it into contact with the tobacco.

' PAUL H. PALMER. 4 

